Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Biggest Payday Came from an Unexpected Comedy Hit

Arnold Schwarzenegger is mostly known for his big action roles in movies like The Terminator, Predator, and Total Recall. But surprisingly, none of those made him the most money. That title actually goes to Twins, the 1988 comedy where he starred with Danny DeVito.

While chatting on Watch What Happens Live, Schwarzenegger shared that Twins was his highest-paying movie. He made more than $40 million from it, which was more than any of his action films. The reason? A smart deal behind the scenes.

Instead of getting a regular salary, Schwarzenegger and DeVito made a bold choice. They agreed to take a piece of the movie’s profits instead of upfront pay. “We got no money for the salary but ownership with a piece of the back end,” Schwarzenegger said. “It was fantastic. We went all the way to the bank with that.”

The gamble worked. Twins made $216 million at the box office around the world and kept bringing in money through home video. It turned out to be one of the most successful comedies of the time. The deal, which gave them 40% of the profits, ended up being a huge win for both actors and director Ivan Reitman.

Back when the movie was first made, not everyone thought it would work. Schwarzenegger was known for playing tough guys, not for making people laugh. Some studios didn’t think he should switch genres. “They said, ‘Are you crazy? The more people that this guy kills on-screen, the more money we make. Why would we change that?’” Schwarzenegger recalled during a conversation with his son Patrick. But Reitman and DeVito believed in the idea and pushed forward.

Schwarzenegger said they pitched the project as a low-budget film to get it made. “If we don’t take any salaries, we can shoot the movie for $16.5 million. We worked out a deal where we got 40% of the backend of the movie. It happened to be the best deal we’ve ever made.”

Even though Twins was meant to be just a fun comedy, it turned into a major moment in Schwarzenegger’s career, showing that he had more range than people expected. It also proved he had a good eye for business.

There was talk about a sequel called Triplets, with Eddie Murphy joining as the third brother. That idea was in the works for a while, but never happened. After Ivan Reitman passed away, the project stopped. “Reitman passed away before we wanted to start shooting,” Schwarzenegger said.

Twins ended up being a big hit in theaters. It opened at number one and stayed there for several weeks. It earned $112 million in the U.S. and did just as well overseas. Audiences really enjoyed it, though critics were split. Some liked the goofy charm and chemistry between the leads.

Others didn’t think the story held up and felt Schwarzenegger wasn’t the right fit for comedy. Still, viewers gave it strong marks, and it quickly became a fan favorite.

The success of Twins led to more team-ups between Schwarzenegger and Reitman. They worked together again on Kindergarten Cop and Junior, which also starred DeVito.

In the end, Twins wasn’t just a hit comedy, it became a turning point. Schwarzenegger showed he could do more than action, and he made his biggest payday by betting on a project few expected to succeed.

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